Gang mold assembly for concrete blocks



March 7, 1967 D. ToRRlcELLl GANG MOLD ASSEMBLY FOR CONCRETE BLOCKS Filed sept. 24, 1964 IFnnE-Sn EL I INVENTOR.

DECIO TORRICELLI BY KNMI-IMQ @ma AUTOR/VFY.

United States Patent O 3,307,821 GANG MOLD ASSEMBLY FOR CONCRETE BLOCKS Decio Torricelli, 11 Bowles Park, Springfield, Mass. 01104 Filed Sept. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 398,912 1 Claim. (Cl. 249-129) My invention relates to mold forms and more particularly to hand-operated mold forms used in the manufacture of molded building units of the types known to the art as concrete blocks, cement blocks, light weight aggregate blocks, bricks, tiles and the like, the term concrete being used in a broad or generic sense to include all combinations of cement, sand, Water, or the like, and other dehydrated materials from which building blocks are constructed, such as gypsum and the like.

One principal object of the invention is to provide a hand-operated mold assembly for the forming of such concrete blocks, which assembly is of simple and inexpensive construction and is easy to operate and which is adapted for the purpose of forming either plain or decorative concrete blocks or the like for building or construction purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mold assembly for casting building blocks which may be easily assembled or disassembled land which may be employed as a single unit for molding a single such block or as a gang mold for molding a plurality of such blocks simultaneously.

Another object hereof is to provide a novel mold assembly wherein the walls thereof are movable relative to each other to facilitate the removal of the assembly from the formed articles or article.

Asan included feature, I provide novel hand-operated latching mechanism for releasably interconnecting a plurality of such mold units to form a gang thereof for achieving simultaneous multiple article molding, said latching mechanism including cam means facilitating ready separation of the mold units from each other and from the formed articles.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claim, supported by the yaccompanying drawing which, by way of illustration, shows a preferred embodiment of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention, embodying the same or equivalent principles, may be used as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claim.

In the drawing:

FIG. l is a view in perspective of a mold apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary View in end elevation of the cam/latch means of the mold apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a view, similar to FIG. 2, but with the cam/ latch means motivated toward its release position; and

FIG. 4 is a view, similar to FIG. 2, with the cani/ latch means completely released.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, with particular reference to FIG. l, I have shown a pair of mold forms generally indicated by 10, each mold form delining a generally rectangular mold cavity C of a desired shape and configuration according to the article to be formed.

A pair of fiat sided concrete blocks or bricks B have been illustrated, although it will be understood that the mold forms hereof may -be appropriately modified to produce block-s or bricks which are cored or apertured, or which -have projections Eand/or depressions of various designs formed thereon for decorative or other purposes.

3,307,821 Patented Mar. 7, 1967 ,s ICC Each mold form is comprised of a pair of releasablyinterlocked mold frame members such as is generally indicated by 12, all mold frame members being identical, `and each comprising a generally rectangular side plate 14 and a pair of generally rectangular end plates 16, 16 pivotally connected thereto, one at each of the opposite ends thereof. Such pivot means may comprise a pair of spaced, parallel lugs or bosses 18, I18 which extend horizontally-outwardly from t-he side plate 14 adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof, the lugs or bosses of the pair thereof having a pivot rod 20 extending vertically therebetween and fixed thereto at its opposite ends, with the pivot rod being disposed in spaced parallel relationship to the adjacent endv of the side plate.

A vertically-extending pivot link 22 is fixed to a planar face of each end plate 16 adjacent a side edge of the latter as by welding or other suitable means and includes a pair of spaced parallel ears 24 which extend horizontally-outwardly from its opposite ends, which ears are appropriately positioned so as to be disposed inwardly of the inner planar surfaces of each of the lugs or bosses 18.

Elongated slots or openings 26 are provided in the ears 24 to receive the ends of pivot rod 20 in loose fitting manner therethrough, whereby the end plates 16 of the pair are pivotally connected to side plate 14.

A novel cam/latch means is provided for releasably interlocking a pair of mold frame members 12 to form a mold form 10, lsaid cam/latch means including a latch handle 30 pivotally connected to pivot link 22 at 32 and carrying at its forwardmost or inboard end a locking finger 34 and a cam finger 36 formed by bifurcating and deforming the end of latch handle 30. Locking finger 34, which is generally hook-shaped, extends forwardly and downwardly from latch handle 30, and includes a rearwardly-extending extension 37 having an oifset portion 38 extending laterally-outwardly therefrom, the offset p0rtion being adapted for releasable and cooperative engagement with a vertically-extending locking boss 40 fixed to a planar face of each end plate 16 and extending horizontally-outwardly therefrom at a point distantly removed from pivot link 22 but substantially axially aligned with pivot 32 so Ias to be engageable by locking finger 34. Locking boss 40 is notched or cut out las at 42 to receive locking finger 34 therein whereby offset portion 38 of the locking finger may enter into tight bearing contact with a forwardly-facing inner planar face 44 of locking boss 40 to firmly lock the mold frame members 12 together.

Cam finger 36, which is of generally arcuate shape, extends downwardly and inwardly from the forward end of handle 30 and includes an offset portion 46 extending laterally-outwardly from its innermost end, said offset portion being normally disposed rearwardly of pivot rod 20, and being movable into engagement with said pivot rod as latch handle 30 is rotated in a clockwise direction upon its pivot 32, thereby urging the pivot rod for, wardly to the forward ends of the slots 26 in ears 24 to force the mold frame members 12 apart and away from the sides of the brick or block B.

This separation of mold frame members is further effectuated by cam finger 36 which includes a forwardly facing arcuate cam face 48 adapted to be brought into bearing engagement with a rearwardly facing planar face 50 of locking boss 40 upon clockwise rotation of latch handle 30 whereby the mold frame members are moved apfalt.

This feature is shown in FIGS. 2-4, wherein, in FIG. 2, cam finger 36 is out of contact with locking boss 40 and locking finger 34 is in engagement therewith to tightly clamp a pair of mold frame members together.

In FIG. 3, latch lhandle 30 has been partially rotated to start to move locking finger 34 away from its engagement with locking boss 40 and to move cam surface 48 =of cam finger 36 into engagement therewith to start the :separation of the mold frame members 12.

In FIG. 4, latch handle 30 has been fully rotated to move both locking finger 34 and cam finger 36 out of Contact with locking boss 40, =at which time offset portion 46 of the cam finger is in tight bearing contact with pivot rod 20 to preclude further rotation of the latch handle. At this time, the mold frame units are completely separated and Ihave been motivated away from the brick or block B which can now easily be removed from the mold forms.

Referring to FIG. l, cavity formers 60 of Iany desired geometric shape or fanciful design may be provided on the inner planar faces of end plates @16y for the purpose of forming cavities in the opposite ends of the article being molded, as desired.

A suitable side frame member, not shown, will be provided to furnish support for the outermost wall of the mold form `and will carry suitable locking bosses similar to the locking bosses 4t) for engagement by the locking fingers 34 yand the cam ngers 36 of the outermost mold frame member.

It will be understood that the gang mold assembly will be placed on 4any suitable fiat supporting surface thereby providing a bottom wall for each of the mold forms, and, following pouring of the mix into the mold cavities C, a relatively heavy fiat metal plate will be placed upon the gang mold assembly to compact the mix within the cavities.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a novel mold form which may be easily and quickly released from engagement with a brick or block or the like, formed therein.

Also, it will be seen that I have provided a novel mold form wherein the walls thereof may be permanently hingedly connected to each other, and may be readily actuated relative to each other to open and close the mold form, in a novel and expeditious manner.

T-hus, while I have illustrated and described ya preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview lof the following claim.

I claim:

In -a gang mold assembly for concrete blocks comprising,

a plurality of identical mold frame members,

each said mold frame member comprising,

a side plate and a pair of end plates with each end plate being hingedly mounted at one end of the side plate by means -of a laterally-movable pivot rod for lateral movement of the end plate between inward closed land outward opened positions with respect to the side plate of the next adjacent mold frame member,

a cam latch means pivotally mounted with respect to each end plate and including a latch handle and a locking finger having a forwardly-extending hook shaped portion having a rearwardly-extending extension and an offset portion and cam finger having a rearwardly-extending arcuate cam portion having lan offset portion a notched locking boss on each end plate,

each said notched locking boss extending horizontally-outwardly from its respective end plate,

the offset portion of the locking finger of each end plate upon rotation of the latch handle in a certain direction being engageable with the forwardly-facing face of the respective locking boss of the next adjacent end plate with the hook-shaped portion of the locking finger being receivable in the notch of the locking boss for locking adjacent mold frame members together,

the offset portion of the locking finger of each end plate upon rotation of the latch handle in an opposite direction being removable from engagement with the forwardly-facing face of locking boss of the respective next adjacent end plate and the hook-shaped portion of the locking finger being removable from the notch in the locking boss for unlocking adjacent mold frame members and the offset portion of the cam ngers upon rotation of said latch handle in said opposite direction being movable into engagement with the pivot rod and the .arcuate cam portion of the cam finger being movable into engagement with the rearwardly-facing face of the locking boss of the respective next adjacent end plate as the latch handle is rotated for urging the pivot rod laterally forwardly for forcing the adjacent mold frame members apart and away from the sides of the formed block.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 1952 Germany.

J. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner. E. MAR, Assistant lxamner` 

